


Waste My Life Away With You

by matchamaxi



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Episode Related, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Beta Read, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29918349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matchamaxi/pseuds/matchamaxi
Summary: Cherry never expected Adam's violence, nor did he expect to have some sense knocked into him.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 19
Kudos: 209





	Waste My Life Away With You

**Author's Note:**

> What's up it's ya boy max back with some matchablossom to cope with whatever the fuck ep9 was lmao

It wasn't the speed that hurt the most. It wasn't Adam's board smashing against his skull. It wasn't how his head smacked the ground, or the sound of Carla clattering off into the distance as he crumpled to the ground. It wasn't even Adam's words that hurt the worst, though they twisted the knife lodged in his heart. 

No. None of that hurt as much as watching his memories shatter, the past fragmenting into tiny pieces behind golden eyes. As he laid there on the ground, listening to the sound of Adam skating away, the sound of people cheering for a monster like that, what hurt the worst was the pieces that remained after the dust settled. Kaoru could see things clearly for the first time in years. 

He saw Joe. 

The tiny broken pieces of his stained glass memories danced in his Vision as he thought about his friend. Kojiro was always there. Always present, even in Kaoru's worst moments. Through fights and making up, through rain or snow, through betrayal and heartbreak. But Kaoru saw his past, and he saw how Kojiro always put him front and center, but how Kaoru had never done the same. At least, not after meeting Ainosuke. 

As his body ached, and he couldn't find the strength to move, someone rushed to his side. He groaned as his sore head was lifted off the ground, turned to look up at the very man he'd been thinking about. Kojiro's eyes were full of worry, but he wore the same smile he always did. It hurt to realize it never quite reached his eyes.

"Easy, tech-deck. I've got you." Kojiro muttered, his strong arms carefully worming under Kaoru's body. He picked him up slowly, tucking his friend's head against him. Kaoru winced, but he relaxed easily in the warmth of Kojiro's arms. 

"You always do." Kaoru muttered, weak but loud enough that he knew Kojiro heard him. Kojiro laughed, and Kaoru finally noticed the way it rang hollow in the moment. He'd been so stupid. He'd ignored Kojiro when he was right next to him all this time. 

Kaoru found it funny. All this time, he had called Kojiro the hard-headed, stubborn gorilla. But in all actuality, Kaoru had been the dumbest out of both of them. It was a shame, he thought, that it took a skateboard to the head for him to finally understand that. 

He wasn't sure exactly when he'd blacked out. All he remembered was the warmth of Kojiro's arms holding him, carrying him away from the track. Kaoru knew Kojiro must've been talking to him, he could still hear the dull buzz of that soothing voice in his head. But as he woke up in the hospital bed, exhausted and sore, and significantly worse for wear, he couldn't remember anything he'd said. 

He knew one thing though. He missed that warmth. He missed the safety he felt in Kojiro's arms. Questioning the nurses about his discharge left him on at least a full night's worth of waiting, but Kaoru had so much to say. He had so much he wanted to apologize for, so much he needed to say that he should've said already. He took matters into his own hands. 

Kaoru had done worse things in his life. Sneaking out a hospital? Not exactly the hardest thing in the world, nor an actual crime. But it was only natural that Kojiro would be surprised to see him, wheelchair and bandages making him look like some sort of poorly made Halloween decoration. 

"I'm fine." He'd assured, wheelchair whirring quietly as he approached the counter Kojiro was behind. 

"You look like a mummy!" Kojiro teased, holding his arms out for emphasis. Okay, so he looked a lot more like a Halloween decoration than he had initially thought. 

Their banter lasted only a few minutes, a few precious minutes of normalcy that Kaoru clung onto like a lifeline. His insults were less aggressive though, his requests a lot kinder. And god, he was so very tired. 

Perhaps laying his head down on the counter while Kojiro sought out a bottle of acceptable wine wasn't the best idea, though. Because the next thing he knew, Kaoru was waking up in a bed that definitely wasn't his. 

His wheelchair glowed faintly in the room, plugged in to charge just like his board always was. His eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness, and he started to recognize his surroundings. This was Kojiro's bedroom, in his apartment above the restaurant. He could see the door cracked slightly, a soft beam of light filtering in through the opening and dancing across the floor. A TV played from beyond the door, and Kaoru wasn't sure why, but he felt so comfortable and yet his eyes were wet. 

"He's always been so good to me. How didn't I notice?" Kaoru mumbled to himself, lifting his good arm to rub at his watering eyes. His body still ached. But he called for Carla, softly as to not disturb what may be going on in the front room. With a little difficulty, he maneuvered himself into the wheelchair that rolled to the edge of the bed. 

Rolling his way to the door, he quietly pushed it open to see what was going on in the rest of the apartment. He could see Kojiro standing by the counter, stirring something in a bowl as he glanced up at the TV every so often. A lamp in the living room and one of the lights in the kitchen was the only thing illuminating the space beyond the glow of the television. With a soft sigh, he relaxed and moved out of the room. 

"Hm?" Kojiro looked up when he heard the movement, watching as Kaoru rolled over to the kitchen and to his side. "Ah, so you're awake. Being nosey?" He asked, smiling faintly as he moved to the side so Kaoru could look at see what he was making, and so he could grab the kettle next to his current workspace. Kaoru's heart ached as he realized what it was. 

Ochazuke. Something Kaoru would only ever eat when Kojiro made it, and something he hadn't actually eaten since highschool. 

Kaoru felt his eyes burning again, and looked at Kojiro as he moved back in place to finish up. Green tea poured from the kettle, most definitely oversteeped like it always was when Kojiro made it, and carefully covered the cooked rice and a handful of other ingredients in the bowl. But Kaoru didn't mind the over-done tea. In fact, he remembered loving it all the better for it. It felt more personal, at least to him. 

"I know you probably aren't up to a full meal. So I figured I'd make something simple. You still like this, right?" Kojiro asked, eyes focused on the bowl in front of him until he was satisfied with the tea-to-rice ratio. Too much tea, never enough rice. Kaoru smiled fondly at the memory of the words he'd told Kojiro a million times in school. 

"I do. Its been years since I've eaten it, though." Kaoru finally answered, offering a small smile towards his friend as Kojiro looked his way. "Thank you, Kojiro. For everything you've done for me."

"Whoa, whoa. Back up, rewind it." Kojiro lifted a hand, looking at his friend with slightly concerned eyes, though he didn't look upset by any means. "I know you got hit pretty hard. But you're saying thank you? What's all this about then?" 

Kaoru didn't know how to explain it. He couldn't explain the way he felt so comfortable with Kojiro, the way he regretted every last moment he wasted day in and day out by chasing after Ainosuke. He tried to find the words, but they kept slipping right through his fingers, never landing where he could get them back. So he sighed, and lifted his good hand. 

His fingers found the soft green fabric of Kojiro's shirt, gripping tight and weakly pulling him down. Kojiro followed the pull, and Kaoru's guiding hand pulled him in until soft lips pressed against Kojiro's own. Kaoru knew this wasn't what he wanted to say. He had so much more built up, so much he wanted to get out. But he just couldn't find the words, so his actions would have to be enough for now. 

What he didn't expect was the sensation of Kojiro's hand cupping the side of his face, tender and gentle against his bandages, and warm lips returning Kaoru's attempted kiss. When he pulled away, he felt like chasing those pouty lips, his half-lidded eyes watching as Kojiro slowly opened his eyes. A soft smile tugged at Kojiro's mouth. 

"Before I say anything, I need to know I'm not just a rebound boy for you, four-eyes." Kojiro's words might have been teasing, but Kaoru could see the slight shine to his eyes. He truthfully felt anxious about being a replacement. Kaoru lifted a hand to cover Kojiro's that rested against his face still. 

"Keep in mind I snuck out of a hospital to come see you, specifically. Nobody else." Kaoru started, voice soft in the space between them. He looked at Kojiro, lips tilting into a small, playful smile. "You're not a rebound, dimwit. I think that board just knocked some sense into me is all." At that, Kaoru felt strong arms wrap around him, careful of his sore body and injuries. Kaoru tucked his arm around Kojiro's shoulders, gently patting the massive back his palm found. 

"About time, honestly. I was worried I'd spend my whole life just… wasting away waiting on you to see me." Kojiro tucked his face against soft pink hair, closing his eyes for a long moment as he breathed a sigh of relief. Kaoru could feel the thundering heart inside his friend's chest as he hugged him, letting his own eyes fall closed until Kojiro let go, slowly drawing back to look at him. 

"I have… a lot that I want to tell you. And I'm sure you want to talk to me, too." Kaoru began, carefully pressing his bandaged forehead against Kojiro's. "But can we do it later? I'm really hungry." As if to prove a point, Kaoru's stomach growled, loud and demanding. He felt his face heating up until he watched Kojiro start laughing, hand over his chest as his eyes squeezed closed from how hard he laughed. A smile rested permanently on his lips, and Kaoru's heart fluttered as he realized it finally reached his friend's eyes. 

"Sure. I'll feed you, and we can get all our feelings out. But I'm warning you, I'm still going to call you a nerd. You just might get a "babe" every now and then from now on." Kojiro warned, smiling wide as he stood upright and moved to grab the bowl of ochazuke he'd made earlier. 

"That's fine. We've got plenty of time to waste now, don't we? On pet names and talking." Kaoru offered, watching as Kojiro grabbed the chopsticks and knelt back down in front of Kaoru to to tuck the bowl onto his lap. Kojiro's warm smile steadily burned itself into Kaoru's mind. 

"We do. Gotta say, after all this wasted time? I can't wait to waste my life away with you." Kaoru laughed then, sweet and quiet. He wouldn't mind wasting time either, not so long as Kojiro was by his side. No matter what happened with everyone else, they would always have each other.


End file.
